If there’s one thing that you could change that would have a significant effect on the way your home looks and feels like, that would be the lighting. Yes, light fixtures are very important. In fact, they can make or break a room. Without them, or if you choose the wrong ones for a certain section of your dwelling place, the functionality of that particular room would be affected. Therefore, it is imperative that you carefully choose what you are going to install in the different parts of your house.
The challenge is, there are so many types of lighting, which include ambient, task, and accent lighting. But that doesn’t stop there. Each type has subcategories, too. So, yes, it can be very overwhelming to choose the right lighting for your home. To help you out, here are things that you should remember:
Understand Each Room’s Lighting Requirements
Each room in your house has its own purpose. Therefore, the right lighting for your entryway may be different from that of the kitchen. You can’t just go ahead and install the same type of lighting in every room.
Let us have a look at what the best lighting for each room is.
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Entryway
The entryway is the very first thing that your guests will see as they walk through the front door. This means that it should look welcoming and has a warm tone. If you have tall ceilings, a chandelier would be great. Otherwise, you may opt for impressive pendant lights as well as floor lamps.
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Living Room
When it comes to entertaining guests, the living room is the star. Since this area can be used for various purposes, the lighting options are flexible as well. With this, you can have a combination of lights. You can have a mixture of overhead recessed lighting, chandelier, floor lamps, table lamps, and sconces. This allows you to instantly change the mood as needed.
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Kitchen
The kitchen is another area that requires different lighting schemes. But be sure that you install the right ones in those areas where you usually prepare your food. Overhead lighting would be great. You also need bright lighting over the kitchen island, stove, and sink. As for those areas that you don’t utilize often, they can have dimmer lights.
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Dining Room
The dining room is the easiest to light because there is only one focal point in this area and that is the dining table where you set your food. Having a low-hanging chandelier or pendant lights is highly recommended. Or, if you want something unique but still functional, go for a lantern. Whatever you choose, it should be appealing and functional at the same time.
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Bedroom
As a personal space, the bedroom should have some kind of warm lighting. In general, the best to use is task lighting, such as a lamp on your bedside table. Scones work great in enhancing the ambiance. And if you want to emphasize some displays in your bedroom, opt for attractive accent lighting.
Furthermore, pendant lights would give your sanctuary a sleek or modern look.
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Bathroom
The bathroom requires adequate lighting so you will be able to perform various tasks. Your mirror, for instance, should be well-lit, so choose a nice-looking task lighting.
This area should also have accent lighting, which allows you to light it evenly. You may also opt for dimmer lights that you can utilize in the morning, especially when you are just waking up.
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Entrances and Stairs
Most of the time, these areas have the least number of decor. Consider installing a general light with a statement design. Layering up would work just fine, too.
Narrow Down Your Choices
Like what we have said earlier, lighting comes in all sorts of designs, styles, colors, shapes, and sizes. So how do you narrow down your choices? Focus on the theme that you are trying to achieve. Do you want a classic look? Or, do you prefer contemporary? Maybe you want that rustic or farmhouse look. The bottom line is, choose a style and take it from there.
Try to Create a Picture
You wouldn’t know how the lighting looks like in a room until it is installed. One thing that you can do, though, is to try to create a picture. If you are good at drawing, draw each room with your choice of light. This will show you whether or not the light fixture would look good.
There may be thousands of lights available out there. But as long as you know what the requirements of each room in your house are, and you know exactly the style that you want, choosing the right lighting should not be that difficult.